Category: Breaking News

Dec 29 (Reuters) – The Dow and S&P 500 closed at all-time highs on Wednesday on a boost from retailers including Walgreens and Nike, as investors shrugged off concerns on the spreading Omicron variant. The Dow has now risen six straight trading days, marking the longest streak of gains since a seven-session run from March 5 to March 15 this year. Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O) and Nike Inc rose against the backdrop of recent reports suggesting holiday sales were strong for U.S. retailers. Data on Wednesday showed the U.S. trade deficit in goods mushroomed to the widest ever in November as imports of consumer goods shot to a record, as the coronavirus pandemic has limited spending by Americans on services. Some early studies pointing to a reduced risk of hospitalization in Omicron cases have eased some investors concerns over the travel disruptions and powered the S&P 500 to record highs this week. “The market started to recognize that the Omicron variant was in a strange way good news, because it will burn itself out more rapidly because it’s easily transmissible, but it’s less likely to overwhelm hospitals,” said Jay Hatfield, founder and chief executive of Infrastructure Capital Management in New York. Continue reading “Dow, S&P close at record highs as Omicron worries ease”

The Walmart Supercenter in Linden has been closed to customers in the wake of the recent spike in COVID-19 cases across the region, the company said. The store, on West Edgar Road, was closed on Tuesday and is expected to reopen Thursday morning. “As you know, several areas across the country have begun seeing a renewed increase in positive COVID-19 cases, and we want to assist health officials working against the pandemic. In support of this effort, we have chosen to temporarily close our Linden store location… as part of an ongoing company-initiated program,” Walmart said in a statement released to NJ Advance Media Wednesday morning. “This will allow extra time for a third-party specialist to further sanitize the store and will also give our associates additional time to restock shelves and prepare the store to once again serve the community,” the company statement added. “We plan to reopen the store to customers at 6 a.m. on Thursday, December 30.” Although Walmart did not indicate whether there have been widespread COVID infections at its Linden store, a report by NBC4 New York said dozens of employees have tested positive for the virus. Continue reading “NJ Walmart closes after Employee covid outbreak”

Bark, Bark, Bark – Isolate, Isolate, Isolate

I now have enough information and research that has come in to give you my opinion and a safety warning. This is an important conversation we must have.

The decision to cut isolation time in half for those with asymptomatic COVID-19 is sparking a backlash among employee representatives and experts who say big business sparked the decision more than science did. A worker shortage of flight attendants calling out sick made Christmas travel a nightmare across the U.S. But other industries such as retail and restaurants could be similarly impacted, leading businesses into temporary yet unintentional shutdowns – a politically unpopular way to curb the spread that President Biden is trying to avoid. Just after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday it would cut isolation time for asymptomatic people infected with COVID-19 from 10 days to five, Anthony Fauci, the president’s top medical adviser told CNN the reason for the change had to do with getting people back to work faster. With cases expected to surge, Fauci said, “One of the things we want to be careful of is we don’t have so many people out.” “If you are asymptomatic and you are infected, we want to get people back to the jobs, especially those with essential jobs,” Fauci said. “They can get back to the workplace, doing things that are important to keep society running smoothly.” The CDC said the change was driven by science showing that the majority of virus transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the first two days prior to onset of symptoms and the two to three days after. But just last week, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian wrote the agency requesting the isolation be reduced to five days, arguing that over 90 percent of the airline’s workforce is fully vaccinated while noting that airline workers wear masks in airports and on planes. Continue reading “Rising omicron cases CDC new guidelines threatens business”

SYDNEY/ROME (Reuters) – Daily COVID-19 infections have hit record highs in the United States, swathes of Europe and Australia as the new Omicron variant of the virus races out of control, keeping workers at home and overwhelming testing centres. Almost two years after China first reported a cluster of “viral pneumonia” cases in the city of Wuhan, the regularly mutating coronavirus is wreaking havoc in many parts of the world, forcing governments to rethink quarantine and test rules. Although some studies have suggested the Omicron variant is less deadly than some of its predecessors, the huge numbers of people testing positive mean that hospitals in some countries might soon be overwhelmed, while businesses might struggle to carry on operating because of workers having to quarantine. The average number of daily COVID-19 cases in the United States has also hit a record high over the past seven days, according to a Reuters tally.

Continue reading “COVID-19 cases surge around world, raising testing and quarantine fears”

Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams advised against following recent COVID-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asserting that some people infected with the virus could end their quarantine after just five days. “I love the CDC. Grew up wanting to work there and have been one of their most ardent defenders.

I never dreamed the day would come when I would advise people NOT to follow their guidance,” Adams said in a tweet on Tuesday. “They wouldn’t even follow it for their own family.” Continue reading “Trump’s surgeon general condemns CDC guidance”